We've mentioned a couple of times on this site that when it comes to the battle of HTC versus Samsung, advertising is of paramount importance. Why? Because people who don't read blogs with names like 'Gizmondo,' 'Android Cops,' or 'The Precipice' have no idea what makes the Galaxy S IV better than the HTC One or vice versa. In fact, more often than not, the average Joe looking to buy a new item in a field he has no expertise in has just one question: what's a good brand?

Marketing is the art of getting people to know and trust your brand. That brand is the bread and butter of any good company. "Galaxy" isn't just a designation or a model number. It's an identity. It's as important to a product line as self-expression is to a person. This is what separates a good product from a great one. Personality. After all, if we can connect emotionally with sharks, pencils, and Ben Affleck, why not our phones?

The One X failed to gain the commercial success that HTC has enjoyed in the past. In fact, the company's revenue has been dropping dramatically lately. Meanwhile, Samsung is gobbling up all the profits. Certainly there are a variety of factors at play, including but not limited to scale, distribution, and exclusivity deals, but marketing is one area that HTC has a distinct disadvantage. Not because it has to, but because the company seems to fundamentally misunderstand some basic concepts.

Let's take a look at some of them.

The Humor Connection: Fake Actors Vs. Fake Lines

You've probably seen the above video. It's Samsung's 'Next Big Thing' ad for the Galaxy S III. I say you've probably seen it not because you're reading Android Police and you're the target market for gadgets and nerdery, but because everyone has seen it. The video has over 17 million views on YouTube alone and has been broadcast on television ad nauseum.

Why has it been seen so many times? Because it's funny. Not Monty Python funny. Not even Dane Cook funny. More like Seth MacFarlane funny. It's just creative enough to appeal to everyone on a base level. Those who love really smart humor will find it kind of bland and cheesy, but will still laugh once or twice ('We've had [4G] for a while' is a pretty good line, I have to admit), but even your parents or tech-illiterate coworkers can get it.

More importantly than that, though, it's memorable. It has moments. Who doesn't remember when Hulk punched Thor out of frame? That is a moment. The ad above has those. The look on the guy's face when he sees them touch phones. The dude saving a spot for his parents. "The connector is all digital. What does that even mean?" These are the points that stick with you.

Now, let's take a look at a recent HTC ad:

Here we have sets featuring sets of actors acting like actors. Mildly amusing, I suppose. After all, who really likes fake ads with people pretending to enjoy phones? That's the basic premise behind this piece and, when you stop to think about it, you get it. HTC is trying to convey that even though this advertisement is a fabrication, the quality of the hardware is tangible.

Here's the problem, though: framing devices aren't moments. For comparison, the framing device for the Samsung ad is an Apple line. Even if they don't name it, that's what it is. However, the moments don't come from the setup. They come from the punch lines.

So, what are the moments of the HTC ad? What are the points we're supposed to take away? Well, reviews. It's certainly not the actors. They're okay at best. Nothing is really memorable. The closest thing to takeaway points are quotes from BGR and Engadget.

I've got an idea. Let's make a new rule for marketers everywhere: stop quoting reviews.

That's not just for gadgets. Movies should stop as well. When was the last time you decided to plunk down a huge chunk of change to go to the theater because "the critics are raving?" Was it never? I bet it was. And that's just for a two-hour commitment that costs $10 or so. Why would any reasonable consumer be swayed by a quote from someone they don't know at a site they've never heard of?

The Data Connection: A Crowd Vs. A Phenomenon

As a point of interest, that YouTube video of fake actors fawning over a phone has been viewed slightly more than forty thousand times. Compared to the 17 million for Samsung's Apple line parody ads. This huge gap is mirrored in the two companies' overall viewership on their mobile channels. The chart below compares the view counts of Samsung's most popular videos on its YouTube channel with HTC's. Sammy's top eighteen videos each have more views than HTC's most popular one.

Also, this just happens to be Samsung's global YouTube channel. When you look at SamsungMobileUSA, the picture isn't very different. While there are fewer individual videos here with more views than HTC's most popular clip, the volume of attention they've received is massive. This includes the Lebron James promotion and the Super Bowl ads.

When we talk about the vast gap between Samsung and HTC ads, these are the numbers you should keep in mind.

The Teaser Connection: Wanting More Vs. Being Confused

Here's another silly Samsung ad. Listen, I'll be one of the first people to make fun of this. It's so easy. This is a gift on a silver platter to people in the peanut gallery like me. That's unfair, though, because I'm not the typical consumer. Most people do not look that critically at ads. You know what most people watch when they see the above ad? A plot.

I know it's crazy, but there is an actual, honest-to-Google plot in this advertisement. It's a thin plot, sure. Very thin, and obviously designed to cash-in on our natural desire to find out "What happens next?" It doesn't matter if it's engaging or smart or clever or awesome. This ad has a clear point ("There's a new phone coming soon"), a clear main character (the Richie Rich knock-off), and a clear call to action (stay tuned!).

We have no idea what's coming next. Which is actually not true, we have quite a good idea. But from the ad's standpoint we don't. We have reasons to want to find out, though. We know what the Galaxy S III is. It's a great phone that sold tens of millions. Now they're making it better? Great! And what's this little girl doing? Are there some shenanigans to be had here? Let's watch, shall we?

Okay, so maybe the average consumer isn't using the word "shenanigans" in their head, but close.

Once again, though, let's compare to what HTC did to tease its upcoming device hardware:

This was an infographic posted here. This post is called 'A Brief History of Photography' and, if it weren't for someone connecting the dots themselves, no one would have realized this image was a teaser for a new HTC device. In fact, it's unlikely that most people cared all that much once they did discover that fact. Why?

We already know what's coming.

I hate to sound cruel. I really do because I love HTC. In fact, my Evo was the first phone I ever truly adored. I want so badly to want another HTC device. But it's my job to be honest: this is a horrible teaser. It's not just that it's buried in a boring infographic. It's that it's given away everything. Now we know what HTC is pushing: camera and sound. We've already seen Beats in everything they make, so we probably shouldn't expect much new there, and the camera will be better.

Both of those things are good, don't get me wrong. But people who don't care about audio or cameras can officially tune out now. Thanks for listening! Show's over folks! Is that really the kind of teaser you want? No! Of course not! You want something that will draw people in. Make them curious. This caught the attention of spec nerds and audiophiles. It does not catch the attention of anyone's mom, or a middle manager, or someone who spends all their time in a cubicle. These are people, too. They need to be part of the market.

The Demo Connection: People Vs. CGI Renders

Television ads are one thing. When you get to the web, though, you can get a lot more of people's time. This is a great chance to explore more of what a phone can do. Look at its features, explore the hardware, and really let people feel what the device would be like. The above Samsung video does this by spending some time on the CGI model to start with, then expands to families and how they will use it in their daily lives. What is the purpose of having this device?

Features aren't enough. This is the thing that HTC seems to forget. While Samsung creates some great software add-ons, like the ability to mute your phone by turning it over, those are secondary to the main point of having a phone: people. See if you can spot the difference in HTC's one minute intro to the One:

Can you see it? Do you notice the very large, tangible difference between this video and the Samsung one above? No one ever holds the phone. Ever. Not once. A solid sixty seconds for one of the first videos we would see introducing the flagship HTC One device and we never see a human being wrap their hands around that gorgeous aluminum body.

Maybe production wasn't finished when they made it. Maybe they had the thing under wraps and didn't want to let some commercial actors have access and potentially violate an NDA to send a photo to some blog with a name like 'Android Law Enforcement Officers.' However, it seems like a massive oversight.

These videos aren't the center pieces of all advertising. In fact, you can do both. It's possible to have a video like this that showcases the names of the new features and shows people using them. However, if you look back at HTC's record, the company just does not have a history of creating a very full campaign. When this is where you leave it (or worse: allow carriers to do your advertising for you), it's a setup for failure.

The Final Countdown: IV Vs. One

The HTC One is a good phone. At least as far as we can tell so far. There are some odd button placements, no removable battery, and Sense 5.0 still has some proving of itself to do. However, so far it's made a solid showing. Nothing that we've seen screams "Deer god, whatever you do, please don't buy this!" There are some things people might not like but, barring some catastrophic software failure, it's possible for the One to be a commercial success.

However, as we've stated before, HTC needs to step up its marketing game. This isn't new territory for the company. The manufacturer knows what it's like to have a hit on its hands. It may take more to impress people now than it did when the Evo first came out, but the template is still largely the same. Think about that HTC. Years later, the phones we crave the most are still strikingly similar to the Evo. Large-screened slabs with front-facing cameras, soft buttons, powerful rear shooters, and an emphasis on looking awesome. Sure the Evo was plastic, but it looked like a hot rod. You know how to come out of the gate swinging. You've got the hardware on your side.

Now get a team to put together some ads that tug at our emotions. It doesn't have to be a family camping in the backyard, but give it an identity. Make it memorable. Don't quote reviewers because no one cares. They read those to get information, not to fall in love. Your job is to make us feel like the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous (or handsome) woman (or man) just walked in. They smile at us from across the room and start to walk over. Our hearts flutter. They reach us, wrap their arms around our waist and say "I'm the HTC One, and I want to spend the next two years of my life with you." At that moment we need to melt.

Or go for a more family-friendly approach. We're sitting on the TV with the wife and kids. 'Who's the actor in that thing we're watching?' someone says into Google Now. The answer pops up right away. Cut to the family playing outside. Take some Zoes (or whatever) and show the smiling, happy people. Put the phone in their hands. Make them feel (and us as well), like the HTC One is part of the family.

Heck, you could even go real bold and try some antagonistic ads. Everyone needs a cause, right? Make yourself a rebel. We don't go for hardware made of thin plastic. This is a precious item. We make it out of sturdy aluminum. A year or two from now, it will still look great. Made to last. You have some of the nicest, most durable hardware on the planet, something you have in common with Apple, and that's a major criticism of Samsung. It boggles the mind that this isn't the first and last thing ever said in every HTC ad.

Look at your phones, HTC. Find the best parts about them. Most of those things will not be the brand new feature you just invented and named. Then showcase those parts in people's hands. Make several videos like that and put them everywhere. You may not have the money that Samsung has, but you can save some cash by getting the film crew off the Rihanna bus and back to real work.

Eric is a snarky technophile with a taste for the unusual. When he's not obsessing about Android, you can usually find him obsessing about movies, psychology, or the perfect energy drink. Eric weaves his own special blend of snark, satire, and comedy into all his articles.

Comments

RitishOemraw

Sadly I have to agree.
While I think the Samsung ads are horrible and should be banned from tv and the web, but for the average consumer they seem to work. Whereas HTC's ads which I like better do not work for the average consumer. Too bad : /

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1610479559 Daniel Djønne Lund

The Apple-mocking commercials should be illegal and also banned from tv and the web.

Well, to get on-topic: They do work for some strange reason. My opinion is that a walkthrough video from TechnoBuffalo or some other site gives a much better view than those HTC ads currently being made.

ProductFRED

This is a repost of one of my previous comments, but I feel it's a good one (not to sound cocky):

Allow me to explain the [marketing-related reasons] that Samsung beat HTC this year:

1. Consistency across ads. The first batch of ads made fun of iPhone users while the iPhone 5 was coming out (and also the 4, during the S2's release). This is something we can all relate to. It was the same ad, with different versions mentioning which carrier the phone was available on (like how different iPhone ads say "Available at Sprint", then another one will says "at Verizon", etc).

2. Furthering point #1, the ads were all humorous and relate-able while at the same time showing off features of the phone. Like the one where the father gets in a cab, and his wife S-Beam's him a "special video". I don't know about you but that made me go "oh sh*t" and laugh. But more importantly, you knew what you were getting because the main features/selling points were clearly shown off in the ads.

3. Consistency across carriers. Updates are another thing, and those are the carrier's fault. I'm talking about the fact that the phone is the same on every carrier, so if friend A recommends the phone to friend B, both friend A and friend B get the same phone, with the same design, and same features and apps regardless of what carrier they're on. It's less confusion and more product/brand appeal.

4. Consistency with naming. Even the average person knows "S1, S2, S3". My friends who know nothing about technology call it either the "Galaxy", "S3", or "Galaxy S3". When people remember a name, it means a lot. Meanwhile HTC has "One S", "One X", "One V", "One SV", etc. And none of them are available on multiple carriers. I applaud them on the 8X's consistency, but no one cares enough to buy a Windows Phone right now, so they should focus the effort on Android.

5. Product placement and sponsorship. Samsung sponsored the olympics, sports events, The Voice/American Idol, and a TON of other things. People KNOW "Galaxy S3". It's etched into their minds.

6. HTC's "Sinner Man"/"YOU" campaign got old quickly; it was a nice introduction to the company's product line, but it focused more on clever phrases and catchy music than, "I'm going to show you why you need to buy this phone, and I'm going to make you want it badly." I mean, I can't at all remember the last HTC ad I've seen on TV since that ad campaign from 2010/2011. People actually considered the S3 over the iPhone 5. I have die-hard Apple fan friends, both who know and don't know anything about phones or computers, who picked the S3 over the iPhone 5. That was pretty much the phone question of the year: "iPhone 5 or Galaxy S3?". I lost count of how many times I've read this question on Facebook.

7. (This is also a technical reason) Gimmicks like "Beats Audio", which is nothing more than a software equalizer that can be installed on any phone. I'm not sure if this affected their sales well, but I believe they sold their stake in the company so I'm going to say no. Too often, HTC has been relying on cheap gimmicks to sell their devices. It started with the Evo 3D, which I owned. It was not worthy of the "Evo" name, because it was a crappy device that didn't sell well at all because it offered nothing more than a 3D screen. With the S3, you get a LOT of features. In fact, Touchwiz is so light but functional, that I don't want to flash CyanogenMod on my phone because there are a ton of useful things I'd lose.

-----------------------------------------

So yes, part of it WAS marketing. Marketing is extremely important. From a technical perspective:

1. You never know when you're going to expect updates.

2. Their stance on locking bootloaders when other OEM's like Samsung leave them open. If anything, they should have just introduced a flash counter like Samsung did. It really alienates a whole market of users (enthusiasts/rooters).

3. Huge list of flagships; One S -> One X -> Droid DNA/Butterfly J -> One X+, and soon the "One". Just because they introduced the One doesn't mean current One X, X+, S, and DNA owners are going to forget that they're being screwed over. The new Galaxy comes out once a year. You want a year to feel on top, like Apple does with the iPhone. It's also a sign that the manufacturer doesn't focus updates on a phone very well. Look at Motorola. Every 5 minutes there's an HD MAXX DEVELOPER 4G LTE edition of the last phone. What happens to the original? No updates.

4. Sense is bloated. Seriously, it's been shown to slow down devices and affect battery life. I used to love Sense during the Eclair - Gingerbread days, but now it just looks cheesy. The former is truth, and the latter can be disputed, but I share the same sentiment as many other users. Android ICS (or Jelly Bean if you want to be conservative) can hold its own. They don't necessarily have to put stock Android on the devices (it's a nice dream though), but take the Touchwiz approach and really slim down Sense. HTC has literally tried to spin Sense'd up Android as its own OS (Google it, I can't remember where I read it but it was a while ago).

5. Don't ever doubt the importance of battery life and expandable storage, and whenever possible, include a removable battery. It's one (very big) reason why I can't use a One X over my S3. They're standard features that people aren't quite ready to give up. Just because phones without them exist (Nexus 4, iPhone), and just because people are buying them doesn't mean people don't want those features.

6. Taking all these things into account, we are the group that OEM's turn to to recommend their products. They want the knowledgeable tech people to recommend these devices to friends and family. Tell me why I would ever recommend a One X or S to a family member over an S3 or Note 2.

I'm sure there are several other reasons, but this is what I could think of right now, plus I'm at work.

Enjoy.

Joshua

I don't want to respond to every point you made because you made many that are good on their own. I just want to corroborate the "Removable storage/battery" one.

My mom was considering the One as her next phone, but decided to ask me for advice. I stated that it wouldn't have expandable storage or a removable battery. As soon as she heard that, she dropped it out of her considerations. What took over the top position? Why, the Galaxy SIV, because it likely will have both of those. This is a point that manufacturers cannot treat lightly. Even my 47 year old mom cares enough about her technology to know what's good.

ProductFRED

I'd rather have a plastic phone with common, expected features (removable battery, microSD card slot) in a nice, expensive feeling case than an aluminum slab that offers no such convenience. I analyzed a lot of it from a marketing perspective because I'm a marketing major. But I'm also a geek, so I couldn't blame it completely on the marketing.

In all honesty though, if they marketed more aggresively like Samsung, they could get the public to accept the missing features. I mean look at the iPhone. No removable battery. No card slot. It's missing a lot of features that Android phones have out of the box (and meaningful ones, at that). Yet people can't get enough of it. Don't ever underestimate the power of marketing. It can turn the most unappetizing product into the must-have product of the year if done right.

didibus

Well, I don't know the technical know how of your mom, but if my Dad asked me if he should buy phone X, and I said, well Dad, phone X can not do this and that. I basically told him, no don't buy it. My Dad will follow my advice, not because he was like, wait do I need feature X that you are telling me is missing? He will not buy it, because he's like, the kid said it's crap, the kid knows better then I do, not buying it.

Cerberus_tm

That is true; however, since many, many geeks care about removable storage, and geeks are the ones to advise people; so parents, too, will often shun non-removable batteries and storage. I have had four people ask me what smartphone they should buy this year. And you can guess what I tell them, just like the person you were replying to...

didibus

Ya, that was pretty much my point, a commoner in the world of smartphone doesn't know if it wants or not that feature, if it will come in handy, or if he will ever use it at all, so he makes his decisions based on feedback he's had from more knowledgeable people, like us geeks.

So I agree, appealing to geeks does help sales, because we are a kind of advertisement. But, it doesn't mean that my Mom really wants removable battery, just that she's been told it's pretty bad not to have one, so she figures she don't want a phone that has something pretty bad about it. Most commoner that don't have advice from geeks probably won't care.

Cerberus_tm

Right, we're mostly saying the same thing. One more thing: it's a snowball. Once my mom knows she needs a removable battery, she will brag about it and advise her friends to get a phone with a removable battery. So it will (slowly) spread. For example, my mother's friend told her she had a Galaxy S3 Mini and she really liked it. So my mother got it into her head that that was the phone she wanted. I didn't raise any objections, and she got it.

Mandeep Singh

Agree with your every point especially the removable battery and sd car slot one

Tee

Good one. One aspect steps clearly out in favour of Samsung. The naming. Everyone knows S3 is now their top gun and S4 will be the next one. But with HTC? They have One. Last year they had One X? Where's the logic?

Marlon Milligan

You made a lot of great points marketing wise. But as far as to many flagship phones I disagree. Samsung releases just as many phones as htc. Galaxy beam, galaxy grands, galaxy minis, galaxy note 2,galaxy S3, galaxy axiom, galaxy admire, galaxy X press, etc etc. Also when it comes to upgrades htc was ranked number 1 two year in a row. Ahead of Samsung each time. Removable s's card & battery are not that important. The average consumer doesn't even know what an Sd card is or where to put it. Also I've never met people in my everyday life swapping batteries on the fly. Also I don't know if I'm the minority but I have gotten great battery life from htc since the EVO 3D days. Also Sense is great more refined. The average consumer doesn't even know what skins are so I don't think skins or Sense plays a factor.

Adam92Wilkins

I for one have grown to hate HTC, sure they make sturdy phones. But their lack of updates really kills the phones I have had with them. (Incredible and Rezound). I ended up rooting and not even really being able to get a vanilla experience (until recently on the rezound).

Next phone is a nexus, if verizon ever gets another, or a samsung. If there is gonna be modifications to android they better be enhancing and not limiting.

guest

Thats Verizon, not HTC.

Verizon couldnt even update the nexus devices. You're always going to have terrible update times with big red

A thousand times this. Anyone looking for updates on Verizon should be aware of this. Hell, even the Nexus line doesn't get updated on time. IIRC, the Verizon GNex is still on 4.1. The 4.2.2 update leaked recently, but I'm not sure off the top of my head if it's rolled out yet.

Either way, it takes ages for Verizon phones to get updates. So one should never assume a CDMA Nexus would solve that problem.

No it doesn't. Rooting and ROMing (which I assume is what you meant) is an overly complicated workaround to that issue that can and frequently does introduce a whole new set of bugs.

I'm sorry, but that argument is just complete garbage. If you want to put custom software on your phone, that's great. I encourage anyone who wants to try to have at it. It's a great thing. But acting like everything is perfect in the custom ROM community because you can make your version number say 4.2 instead of 4.1 is the biggest load of snake oil I've seen since that traveling salesman told me I'd get superpowers from a tube of miracle cream.

Sometimes a ROM is great. But it's just as common that you'll have to sacrifice some feature or it will have its own bugs or you'll be waiting just as long to get updates. It's not a universal cure at all.

Adam92Wilkins

Not necessarily, granted if the person doing the procedure is inexperienced then yea it is. Otherwise I have found that custom roms can actually be more stable than the actual software that the manufacturers put out.And on top of that most of the time The developers get the newest operating system stable WAY before the manufacturer does.

Davy Jones

A lot of that depends on whether you are on a device with a large developer community or not. In this regard, it seems that you are usually safer going with a flagship. Of course, just as often choosing which device will be supported down the line is a matter of luck.

http://www.facebook.com/RDJCook Rob Cook

Actually I'm quite pleased that Eric said what he did because it's true. Your counter that the persons inexperience in flashing is the problem shows your inability to understand the subject. Yes your right flashing a ROM does often bring benefits but it also brings compromises, case in point the GS3 and bluetooth. Sure the 4.2.2 ROMs went a long way to solve this but it's still not Samsung levels of perfect, I paid for a feature I want that feature. The point here is that ROM'ing isn't without the potential for new issues, experience of the flasher aside.

Side rant I find it almost inconceivable that ROM developers seem to universally eschew bluetooth, anyway...

Mike Reid

It helps immensely when you get a phone that is VERY popular among ROM developers.

The Galaxy S line rules in this area, despite complaints from CM devs about lack of info & code from Samsung.

Recent high end HTC devices, OTOH, aren't doing as well with custom ROMs. Locked bootloaders and/or no S-Off kill the buzz for me. Just glad we recently got S-Off for the OneX LTE but my OneX International is still S-On.

And BTW I have several high end Galaxy and HTC devices for testing my app, and I check the forums regularly for custom ROMs.

HTC were good with updates long ago, and the hardware is still good, but HTC is becoming dead to me, with Sony replacing. Over half my app sales, about 60% are to Samsung phones. IMO this shows Samsung clearly rules, at least for my apps.

Mandeep Singh

+1

John O’Connor

superpowers? I said sewer powers... as in the shits.. what did you expect drinking snake oil after all? ;-) That is my round about way of agreeing that most people hear what they want to.

http://twitter.com/apa1102 Apa Chen

You should keep away from Verizon not HTC if you want an update.

ProductFRED

Amen. Verizon is generally bad. But somehow, Samsung manages to get updates out for the S3 and Note 2 at a reasonable pace. I think it may have something to do with HTC bending over to them.

adi19956

Let's hope someone over at HTC reads this and takes notes

http://www.Nave360.com Sebastian Gorgon

that HTC ad you showed... haven't seen it once and i watch a hell of a lot of TV

MrHaroHaro

I don't think Samsung's advertising is particularly good but HTC's is certainly bad. Okay, the fake sets/real lines one was actually almost good, but I have never actually seen it. This is isn't about quality of the marketing so much as the quantity though. I've seen tons of Samsung ads on TV even though I hardly watch TV. The closest thing I've seen to an HTC ad is "AT&T has a great network" [people using phones] "And now get the HTC One X for $99 with two-year contract".

That's the problem. Even *finding* good HTC ads is hard. As much as we like to say that we hate ads, and scream and yell when we have to watch them, we will hunt down good ones if they exist. But HTC's? They're just...not...there.

mesmorino

The best HTC ad I EVER saw was the one for the Desire HD, and it was the sole reason I got the phone. Come to think of it, it's the best ad for a mobile phone I've ever seen, period. Between the narration, and the tune, watching it again still makes me want to go out and buy one all over again. Seven and a half minutes well spent.

You were correct on the first part. But I think that if you click the link you will find that I did not mean "dear" at all. :P

Sarah Puls

Haha, I will admit a tiny part of me hoped it was on purpose!

Lexster

I knew I wasn't the only one who worshiped the Deer God!

http://profiles.google.com/jcthomas00 Jacob Thomas

While the advertisements may offer one reason why HTC is loosing market share, it is not the full explanation. I've owned the G1, Mytouch 4G and the original Nexus and recommended the Incredible 2 to several relatives - they all had issues with the capacitive buttons malfunctioning, the touchscreen acting wonky and Sense slowing things down. I could not wait to get rid of those phones and the people to whome I suggested the HTC phones felt the same way. If I contrast the HTC with my Note II, which is snappier than the Droid DNA, has an incredible battery life, an acceptable phone camera, and a good screen, there is no way I am ever going back to HTC and will never suggest it for someone (I'll probably dissuade them).

It is hard selling crap once people know there's something better out there.

Mandeep Singh

Yeah note 2 is awesome

Evan

The other thing killing HTC is that the wind up competing with themselves.

Samsung went the Apple route, and kept the same device name across carriers. A Galaxy S3 is a Galaxy S3, regardless of what carrier you use it on. HTC has the One X, the Evo 4G LTE (which is slightly different), the One X+, etc. A customer can't walk in and request the One X on Sprint, because Sprint doesn't have a One X... there is no brand unity across carriers.

The Galaxy is like the Droid of old. A customer just has to remember a brand name, and not a manufacturer or a carrier specific device. HTC needs to keep the phone hardware consistent across carriers and allow the average customer to just walk in and ask for "The One" (something better is obviously needed, but..)

The other thing that HTC can't compete on is aftermarket accessories. The S3 has the same form factor regardless of carrier, so again much like the iPhone, the aftermarket manufacturers can make it once and have it fit a plethora of devices. With HTC, each variant for each carrier is slightly different. A case for the One X will be slightly too small for the Evo LTE (and not support the kickstand). My wife based her last phone purchase solely on what pretty case she could get for it, and once she saw the limited options for the Evo LTE she knew she wanted the S3.

Kevin Wong

You heard of the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch right? I think those who learn from their past/mistakes and the surrounding will bring improvements within themselves ~

Evan

Point taken. Although I wonder how much of that atrocious naming was due to Sprint. For some reason the Big Yellow **loves** to take a product and slap a string of needless names on the end.

Dave Pellegrin

Love the article title, Eric! haha I need to watch Dr.Strang love again for millionth time :D

guyfromtrinidad

Great article and I totally agree. One other point where Samsung is beating HTC is availability. Samsung has been pushing all their phones out to emerging economies. In the Caribbean blackberries and Nokia phones up to two years ago were dominant now everywhere you look it's a Samsung in fact Samsung put their employees in the major phone companies stores to demonstrate the Galaxy line of phones. I have an S3 but wanted to get an HTC for my wife and I couldn't find any. As mentioned by someone Sammy has also improved with respect to updates and we get them here 1 to 2 months before you guys in the states

nsnsmj

Samsung spends billions upon billions of dollars on advertising / marketing. They outspend Apple by billions too. That is why they sell a lot of devices. Definitely not because they make the best smartphones available.

Freak4Dell

Yup...anybody can sell a piece of junk if they put enough effort into it.

John O’Connor

You have to be more specific. they do offer very nice high end devices.

Freak4Dell

Samsung Mobile doesn't have anything that I would call nice. Maybe, just maybe the Note devices, but that's stretching the definition of "nice". The Samsung devices have great circuitry, but they stuff in a housing that Fisher Price could probably do a better job of building. Then they throw a bunch of half-assed features on top of their hideous UI. Sure, their devices are more friendly to developers, but that's not of any concern to the average Joe. The only reason the average Joe buys Samsung is because it's the name they know. The only reason they know the name is because Samsung sticks 8 billion ads in front of their face.

The stylus of the Note devices is nice, but the size of the Note puts me off from it, and the build quality and having to stick with Touchwiz to have it work properly puts me off of the entire Note lineup. Also, people like to claim that Samsung innovated something with the Note, but HTC did it first with the Flyer/View (that thing was built like a tank, but unfortunately, it was also priced like a tank).

Carlos Paixao

I totally agree. HTC doesnt have good skills with non-tech stuff.
It has a great development staff, but marketing department has an awful performance, no merchandising skill at all and customer services just doesnt works.

Its a pity, since HTC know very well how to build a great device but they actually doesnt know the best way to sell it.

Bryan Cantos

"if we can connect emotionally with sharks, pencils, and Ben Affleck,"

Nice Community refernece there lol

TechGuy21

HTC dont advertise much. they dont have a lot of money. while, one X is good looking and all. its already been review as just another meh phone from HTC. sense is still a problem and its camera isnt even that good, i have no doubt on thursday the S4 will be plastic. but , also i know its gonna have a lot of features to win a lot of people over.

Mandeep Singh

Great article buddy
I wish htc makes a flagship phone with removable battery and sd card slot
I swear I will leave my beloved note 2 for it

HugoMathee

Even though the name Desire sucks, they should have called the Sensation the Desire 2 and the One X the Desire 3, building a flagship brand is what also helped Samsung.

Niels Delporte

I'd sell those ad ideas to HTC if I were you, they're seriously good :-)

RajivSK

Honest-to-google! Damn, hadn't heard that one before. Finally a proper way to stress your honesty to an all knowing entity in a non religious way.

Law

It would appear that you understand demographics far more than I since I've never called my phone a "Galaxy" but on numerous occasions, I've been asked, "is that your Galaxy...?"

It does make sense that people don't have time or the inclination to check which phone is the best. It would make more sense if HTC would follow some of your suggestions and that of the community at large because there are a lot of inconsistencies that are outlined in various posts and comments below or anywhere else on the web.

twistkill

If HTC ever read AP, they would have picked up on the hints long time back. Apparently they don't read much when other websites have to suggest.:/

Hirork

Only adverts from HTC I remember are the HTC You adverts way back with the HTC Hero and Tattoo. That's what clocked me onto HTC in the first place since then their ads have been appalling or non-existent.

turb0wned

STOP FUCKING CRYING OVER SD CARDS AND REMOVABLE BATTERIES. Holy shit. You people bitch and bitch and bitch. You have 64GB already with this phone. You say it won't sell because of these two things, yet the iPhone is still the best selling phone.